Detroit on Thursday filed for bankruptcy, which was possibly the least surprising news ever.

Detroit’s population was 1.8 million in 1950. It was called “The Paris of the Midwest.” In 2010 that number was a little more than 700,000. As a result of the population reduction, 70,000 buildings are vacant, with 38,000 considered dangerous. In April, the Brisbane Courier-Mail reported the average selling price for homes in 2012 was $7,500. There were 47 homes listed for $500 or less and five of them were listed for $1.

Average police response time nationally is 11 minutes; in Detroit, 53 minutes. The cops are very busy, too. Many supporters of gun rights make much of gun-controlled Chicago, which had more than 500 murders in 2012. Yet Detroit, with a quarter of Chicago’s population, had 386 homicides last year. Milwaukee, with about 600,000 residents, had 85.

We’re going to hear a lot over the next few days about how “complicated” the sources of Detroit’s troubles are. Many of those voices will still point to a single cause: Racism (both against blacks and against whites), suburbia, Democrat over-regulation, the Republican governor, etc. As a person who says cities are so complicated that planning them is a fool’s errand, I won’t say there’s only one cause. Still, there is a primary cause of death here which wasn’t black, white, red or blue.

It was green. Detroit taxed and spent itself to death.

Consider this fact put forth by author David Freddoso: The property taxes on a $50,000 Detroit home add up to $3,354.

In Washington D.C., the tax bill would be just $425.

It turns out the principle behind the Laffer Curve — if taxes rise above a certain level, revenue actually decreases — is very real and applies to property taxes as well as income taxes.

Consider the vicious cycle: First, politicians raise taxes. Some residents and businesses who have the mobility to move to a lower tax environment will do so. The sharper the hikes, the more move out. Government now has less revenue, so politicians usually “solve” the shortfall by raising taxes again. That causes more people to move ... you get the idea.

The worst part? Those with the lowest incomes and wealth are hardest hit. They can’t move and lose services.

Eventually some of them just don’t pay the taxes — almost half of Detroit property owners didn’t in 2012. Detroit has raised all taxes to the statutory limits allowed by Michigan but can’t find enough dollars to fund basic services.

On the spending side, the city’s pension liabilities ($9.2 billion) are about half of their debt and add up to $13,000 for every resident. City leaders could see population dropping, but piled on benefits anyway. Now those cops, firefighters and other real public servants will get the shaft, just like the taxpayers.

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So, the city manager ends up exploring which assets, including Van Gogh paintings from the Institute of Arts, antiques cars from the historical museum and the ground the zoo sits on, can be sold. By the way, if you want a giraffe you’ll need $80,000.